Gate construction



y 17, 1955 T. TOLLEFSON $708,286

- GATE CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 50, 1953 IN V EN TOR.

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A TUBA [K5 United States Patent @fihce 2,798,286 Patented May 17, 1955 GATE CONSTRUCTION Tollak Tollefson, Bonilla, S. Dak.

Application December 30, 1953, Serial No. 431,279 1 Claim. (Cl. 16-158) My invention relates to hinges for farm gates and the like.

More particularly, my invention relates to hinge construction for gates of the type wherein upper and lower hinge elements are in offset relation to each other, the

upper one being spaced a greater distance from a vertically disposed gate post than the latter thereof whereby the free end of the gate is elevated upon being swung open in either direction, and is thus under gravity bias to return to its closed position.

More particularly, my invention relates to gate hinges of the type immediately above described wherein adjustable means is provided for raising and lowering the free end of the gate with respect to the ground to compensate for springing of the gate, for wear in the hinges, and to bring about proper clearance to prevent the smallest of fowl, and the like, normally found on a farm, from passing there-beneath.

A still further object of my invention is the provision of binge construction of the type above described, which is inexpensive to produce, which is easy to adjust and which is rugged in construction and durable.

The above and still further objects of my invention will become apparent from the following detailed specification, appended claims and attached drawings.

Referring to the drawings wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views:

Fig. l is a view in side elevation of a gate attached to a gate post with my novel hinge mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a view on a reduced scale showing the fence of Fig. l in an open position;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4 and turned 90 degrees with respect to Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1, showing a slightly modified form of the invention with some parts being broken away;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a view in perspective of the adjustable hinge member of Figs. 6 and 7;

Fig. 9 is a view corresponding to Fig. l but showing a still further modified form of the invention; and

Fig. 10 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 10-10 of Fig. 9.

Referring with greater particularity to the drawings, and initially to the structure of Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, the numbers 1 and 2 indicate conventional gate posts driven vertically into the ground adjacent opposite sides of a path of travel A thereby. A lower hinge bolt 3 is caused to pass through the gate post 1 transversely of said path of travel A and in close proximity to the ground. Bolt 3 is screw-threaded at its inner end 4 and is provided with a nut 5 to draw same tightly up against a shoulder 6 on the outer end portion of the bolt 3.

The outer end of the bolt 3 is bent upwardly to provide a hinge pintle 7. Pintle 7 is adapted to be received within an aperture 8 in a hinge member 9 secured to a lower frame member 10 of a conventional gate 11, see particularly Fig. 4. As there shown, the hinge member 9 comprises a metal strap bent in generally U-shape, the opposite legs 12 of which are adapted to embrace opposite sides of the frame member 10 with the closed end projecting outwardly from the vertical frame member 13 of the gate 11. Note that the aperture 8 is formed in a plate 14, welded or otherwise secured between the closed end of the U-shaped member 9 and the vertical frame member 13 of the gate 11. By particular reference to Fig. 5, it will be noted that a generally U-shaped saddle 15 is welded or otherwise secured between the legs 12 of the U-shaped hinge member 9 whereby to nestingly receive the frame member 10. By particular reference to Fig. 1, it will be noted that the legs 12 of the frame member 9 are provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced transverse openings 16 to selectively receive the nut-equipped bolt, or the like, 17, which extends therethrough and through a suitable aperture, not numbered, in the frame member 13 of the gate 11.

Vertically spaced from the hinge bolt 3 is an upper hinge bolt 18 which, as seen particularly in Fig. 3, is screw-threaded from its inner end 19 a distance considerably greater than the thickness of the post 1, through which it passes. Bolt 13 is provided with a pair of opposed, preferably washer-equipped nuts 20, adapted to engage opposite sides of the post 1 whereby to eflfectively extend or retract the looped outer end portion 21 for a purpose which will hereinafter become apparent. Preferably, and as shown, the upper end portion of the frame member 13 of the gate 11 projects upwardly beyond the horizontal frame member 22 of the gate 11 so as to project loosely through the loop 21 in the hinge bolt 18. It will be noted that the axis of the pintle 7 of the lower hinge bolt 3 is offset with respect to the axis 21 of the upper hinge bolt 18the latter being spaced from the post 1 a greater distance than the former thereof. This arrangement, as illustrated by Fig. 2, causes the gate 11 to raise as it is moved in either direction from the normal gate closing position of Fig. 1. Return of the gate 11 to a normal gate closing position is caused by gravity.

Not infrequently, the free end 23 of the gate 11, due to spring, or wear of the hinge elements above described, comes into engagement with the ground. To compensate for this, or to raise the same from the dotted or the full lines of Fig. 1, I loosen the outer nut 20 on hinge bolt 18 and tighten the inner one thereof a desired distance. On other occasions, it frequently may become desirable to lower the end 23 of the gate 11 so as to preclude even the smallest fowl from passing thereunder. Obviously, this may be accomplished by loosening the outer nut on the hinge bolt 18 and tightening the inner thereof.

The above described adjustments, to effectively raise and lower the free end 23 of the gate 11 may be accomplished alternatively through selective engagement of the nut-equipped bolt 17 in the desired aligned opening 16 in the U-shaped hinge member 9or in extreme cases, where neither adjustment is sufficient, one of the two adjustments may be used to supplement the other.

In the structure of Figs. 6 to 8 inclusive, like char acters are similarly identified. However, the upper hinge bolt 24, similar to the lower hinge bolt 3, is upturned as at 25 to provide a hinge pintle which is outwardly spaced from the fence post 1 a greater distance than the pintle 7 associated with the lower hinge bolt 3. However, hinge bolt 24 is provided with opposed nuts 26 to enable the pintle end 25 thereof to be adjusted with respect to the post 1.

The gate 27 is provided with a channel-shaped lower 3 frame member 28which overlies a primary Wooden frame member 29. As shown, particularly in Fig. 7, an elongated hinge member 30, provided with a plurality of transverse openings 31, is nestingly received between said channel member 28. and the primary wooden frame In the modified structure of Figs. 9 and 10, the hinge,

bolts 3 and- 24' are identical to those of Figs. 6 to 8 inclusive. However, the gate 35. is conventional in nature, the same being secured to the upper and lower pintles 25 and 7 respectively through the medium of hinge members 36 and 37 respectively, each of which is formed from U-shaped metal straps 38 through the outer ends of which and vertical frame members 39 are adapted to pass screw-threaded bolts 40. Plate members 41 are welded or otherwise secured between the U-shaped ends 42, and the vertical frame members 39 and each thereofis provided with openings 43 to rotatively respectively receive hinge pintles 25 and 7.

What I claim is:

Hinge construction for gates and the like comprising, a, hinge bolt adapted to pass through a gate post transversely of the gate opening, said bolt having a shoulder at its intermediate portion and having threaded means at its inner end for drawing said post up tightly against said shoulder, the outer end of said bolt being bent upwardly to provide a hinge pintle,,a horizontally disposed metal strap bentin generally U-shape and adapted to have its opposite legs embrace opposite sides of the horizontal portion of a gate frame, a horizontal plate rigidly secured between the legs of said U-shaped hinge member adjacent its closed end, said plate having therein an aperture adapted to receive saidhinge pintle, aligned openings in said legs immediately outwardly of said horizontal plate and adapted to receive a horizontally disposed nutequipped, bolt passing through. the vertical portion of a gate frame, and an inverted U-shaped saddle secured between the legs of said horizontal hinge members adjacent their free ends, said saddle adapted to overlie and engage said horizontal portion of the gate frame outwardly of the nut-equipped bolt extendingthrough the aligned apertures. in said' legs.

Reterences Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 527,685 Haege Oct. 16', 1894 566,323 Kelleher Aug. 25, 1896 772,996 Allsup Oct. 25, 1904 894,036 McCollum July 21, 1908' 1,091,233 Mitchell c Mar. 24, 1914 1,123,913 Mueller Jan. 5, 1915 2,010,468 Spencer Aug. 6, 1935 2,651,806 Thompson Sept. 15, 1953 

